nini... I actually find yours to be great. I think we just don't like anything that's hanging so low. It's an eyesore for us. :) thanks for sharing.

I don't have pictures, but really you could use anything that provides you with sufficient light for your work space. People choose pendants because they're decorative and like them. You could use chandeliers, semi-flush-mounts, flush mounts, or even track lighting. What kinds of lighting do you like?

I agree with you 100%, tncraft! When I say "pendant lighting" I mean those smaller, dangling lights that downcast on my aging face and do NOT help me look good! They are usually in "threes" it seems to me. I love the lights posted by nini...I want something higher up and larger. We are adding some hi hats to our kitchen, plus something decorative (like nini's) over the peninsula. They WON'T be pendants!

You are confusing your lighting terms. Anything that hangs down from the ceiling IS a pendant. If it's a chandelier, it's a pendant. It's just a pendant with multiple lights. If it's a semi-flush mount light, it's just a short pendant. Pendant lighting is used because it can spread light all the way around the room, upwards, sideways, and downwards. You can have pendants that have a shade that focus the light downward onto a work surface, and then they are task lighting pendants rather than general room lighting pendants.

The thing with a focal area like a breakfast area or sink is that it needs lights shining directly onto it, both to remain a visual focal area, and to remain well lit for your work tasks. Pendant lighting is superb at doing just that, and it's why it's most often used to accomplish the task. You can accomplish a well lit area from using recessed spot lights instead of flood lights, but you run the risk of it being insufficient lighting if your ceilings are high or the lights are positioned incorrectly. You also have to make sure that you use the correct trim and bulb to be able to accomplish the right kind of light. Flood lights are for general room lighting and they spread the light out in a wide cone. Spot lights are exactly that. They concentrate the light where you need it like on a stage. The higher up the source of the light, the more chance of shadows, and that's another reason that pendant lighting is popular. It's closer to the work surface, making the light brighter and more focused for your tasks.

You might think of a pair of lamps on your breakfast area if you don't want pendants. Lamps provide good lighting at the human level, which is what you need, and they can add an interesting textural element to a kitchen.

may I ask where nini to provide where she purchased her lighting?